


Skype Date Epiphanies

by zarrati



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M, dc era, skype sessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-05 07:09:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5365976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarrati/pseuds/zarrati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Then, it hits him. Like a bolt of lightening that shoots through him and sends a shiver down his spine.</i><br/><i>He wants Leslie Knope to be his wife.</i><br/>Set during Ben's time in D.C.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skype Date Epiphanies

**Author's Note:**

> Fic prompt: While Ben's in Washington, a Skype date with Leslie ends with Leslie getting emotional about missing him, but she still assures that even with him gone, she's still so proud of what he's doing. This makes Ben reflect that no one's ever been this proud/supportive of the work he's done since Ice Town until Leslie - the greatest worker he knows & someone who hated his work like everyone else when they first met - and it makes him consciously aware for the 1st time he wants to marry her.

Ben stares at his computer screen, a warm and goofy smile on his face as he listens to Leslie tell him about her morning so far. She’s talking a mile a minute about how she feels like she’s finally making some progress in the City Council despite opposition from most of her colleagues. She’s beaming with so much pride, he can’t help but look at her that way.

But somewhere in the middle of her talking, her face scrunches up and she begins to cry.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” he asks, concerned at her complete emotional 180. “Did something happen?”

She shakes her head, but continues to weep silently. “I just miss you so much. Things are getting better but sometimes they’re just so damn hard and there’s about 400 times everyday when I don’t want anything but a hug from you but you’re like a million miles away.”

“Oh, sweetheart-”

“And sometimes I just wish you’d come home and then I feel like a jerk because I know you belong there and are doing an amazing job and love it.” She covers her face and sniffles. “I’m sorry. I’m being so selfish. You gave up so much for me, and I can’t even let you enjoy your dream job. I’m the worst girlfriend in the world.”

He sighs and his lips turn down in a frown. He’s not sure what brought this on, but knowing Leslie, it’s most likely been building for weeks and weeks until all of her frustrations and insecurities came out at once.

“Honey, it’s okay. Really. I understand.”

She snaps her head up and wipes a violent hand across her cheeks. “No, it’s not. I’m sorry. I’m just emotionally vomiting on you right now.” She sighs and looks straight into the camera. “Do you know how proud I am of you?”

Well, that came out of nowhere, he thinks to himself. His brow furrows and he cocks his head to the side. “Yeah, of course I do.”

“No,” she shakes her head, “I really don’t think you do. I miss you like crazy, but what you’re doing…God, it’s so amazing. Running a congressional campaign? Rubbing elbows with Washington royalty? Ben, you introduced me to people on my list of amazing women. It’s so unreal, but you’re doing all that and kicking ass and everyone loves you. Who wouldn’t be proud of you?”

Ben is speechless. Not since he was elected mayor at 18 can he remember someone ever being proud of him like this. After Ice Town, every accomplishment was viewed as a form of atonement, something expected of him to make up for what he had done.

But when he thinks about it, Leslie’s always been his biggest supporter. Long before they were dating, he remembers the look of gratitude and pride on her face as she thanked him for his help with the Harvest Festival. The way he felt when she hugged him, like for the first time in a long time, he did something right.

To have Leslie Knope–the greatest, most committed worker he has ever known have faith in him was a feeling unlike any other, and even now, months and months after that first time, it still makes his heart swell.

“I don’t care if no one else is proud of me, just as long as you are. Your opinion means more to me than anyone else’s ever could.” He wishes more than anything that he could just reach out and touch her. “And there’s no shame in missing me and wishing I was home.  _I_  even wish that sometimes. Yeah, I love what I’m doing, but there are days when I come back to the apartment and would rather be home with you than anywhere else.”

“Really? More than some swanky party with Hot Rebecca?”

He can’t help but grin at the mention of her jealousy amalgam. “One Leslie Knope is worth more than ten thousand Hot Rebeccas. “

He gets drunk off of the smile that she gives him, and the two just stare at each other through their cameras.

Then, it hits him. Like a bolt of lightening that shoots through him and sends a shiver down his spine.

He wants Leslie Knope to be his wife.

This is far from the first time he thought about his future with her. He knew very early on that he loved her, that he wanted to build a life with her, but up until that point, it was always “if”.

If they settled down together, if the got married, if they had kids.

But now, as his heart yearns for the woman waiting for him a thousand miles away, it’s not if anymore. It’s  _when._

Their lives so far have been so hectic that the future always seemed far off. They had enough to worry about in the present. Hiding their relationship, doing damage control after their scandal broke, balancing their personal and professional lives as Leslie and Ben the couple versus Leslie and Ben: Candidate and Campaign Manager.

He is finally allowing himself the luxury of thinking about his future, and he can’t possibly fathom it without her every step of the way.

She rests her chin on her hand and gives him a lazy smile. “What are you thinking about? You look a million miles away.”

His eyes snap back into focus, and he meets her smile with a grin of his own. “I was just thinking about how much I love you, and I can’t wait to see you in person again. My arms ache to hold you. My lips beg to kiss you. My heart needs nothing more than to be near you.”

“Look at you. You’re a regular poet.”

“Well, I  _am_  a fanfiction writer, after all.”

Leslie giggles and curls a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’ll be there for a visit in less than two weeks. Think your lips can wait until then?”

“No,” he sighs dramatically, “but they’ll have to be patient.” His eyes turn serious. “I’d wait a thousand years for you.”

“And I’d wait ten thousand for you.”

“You’ll always outdo me, won’t you?” he says with a chuckle and shake of his head.

“Yup,” she answers with an exaggerated pop of the ‘p’. “But can you blame me? That gorgeous butt is worth waiting several millennia for. I can’t wait to get my hands on it again.”

He waggles an eyebrow suggestively. “Well, if you’re a good girl, maybe he can make an appearance when we Skype again tonight.”

“Ben,” she groans and bites her lip, “you can’t just say stuff like that to me when I have a meeting to go to in less than ten minutes.”

“What about you? Sitting there in your little power suits. Biting your lip and groaning my name. Makes me so hard, all I can think about is fucking your brains out.”

She squeezes her eyes shut and takes a deep, shuddering breath. “I hate you so much right now.”

“I’m sorry.” He’s not sorry at all. “I just can’t resist getting you all hot and bothered before meetings. The thought of you sitting in the conference room, squirming around in your seat thinking of me is a top fantasy of mine.”

“Jesus, Ben, I swear to God I’m gonna get back at you for this.”

“There’s always tonight.”

Leslie looks away from the camera when there’s a knock on her office door. “I’ll be there in a second,” she calls out before turning back to him. “I have to go or I’ll be late.”

“Have fun and pay attention,” he teases.

“Yeah, which won’t be easy, thanks to you.”

“Quit acting like you don’t absolutely love it.”

She winks. “You know I do, but I’ll still get my revenge tonight.” She blows him a kiss that he pretends to catch. “Love you and have a great rest of your day. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Love you, babe,” he says and reaches out to touch his screen before it goes black.

He sighs and starts gathering up the loose papers strewn about his desk and shoves them into his padfolio.

“Ew, were you Skyping with Leslie just now?” April’s voice asks from the door of his office.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“You have the grossly sad but also happy face that you get when you call her.” She suddenly narrows her eyes and looks around the room. “You didn’t Skype sex, did you?”

“You’re asking me if I just had Skype sex with Leslie. In my office. In the middle of the day.”

“I don’t know what weird stuff you do.”

Ben just sighs. “Did you need something, April?”

“Jen said that she needed the workup done by the end of the day.”

“No problem,” he nods. “I’ll get that to her in a few hours.”

She turns around and leaves without another word, leaving Ben to stare at his computer.

He opens the document but quickly minimizes it. He’ll get Jen what she needs, but first, he has to look up some jewelry stores in Pawnee.

Because the next time he’s home, he has an engagement ring to buy.


End file.
